The Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer team lost 0-1 to Rutgers University in a tough match at McClimon Soccer Complex on Sept 12.
The only goal of the game came after an entirely scoreless first half, mostly due to the tenacity of goalkeepers on both sides. Wisconsin’s Drew Stover had two saves in the first half, one in the 13th minute of the game off a corner kick from Rutgers and another in the 16th minute.
Wisconsin had six shots in the first half, twice the amount Rutgers had. Two of those shots were on goal, and both were saved by Rutgers goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer, who thwarted the Badgers’ scoring attempts throughout the night. Wisconsin senior midfielder Riley Philbin and freshman midfielder Anya Gulbruson were the only Badgers with shots on goal.
In the fourth minute of the game, Rutgers received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of head coach Mike O'Neill.
While both teams seemed evenly matched after a scoreless first half, the second half saw more action. Rutgers upped their game and became more diligent with plays, and the Badgers struggled to keep up. What had kept Rutgers at bay for the first half was in part the efforts of Stover. The Badger goalkeeper had zero saves and allowed a goal in the second half.
In what has become a rare occurrence for the Badgers, they were outshot 4-3 by Rutgers in the second half.
Standout Aryssa Mahrt had her first game since Aug. 29 in which she did not score. Mahrt had only one shot the entire game, a stark contrast to the four she had against Milwaukee the week prior.
Ashley Martinez, who is also a noted offensive weapon for the Badgers, had two shots and one shot on goal during the game. Martinez played a key role in moving the ball towards the goal during Badger possessions but was foiled by Rutgers defenders.
A standout player for the game was Riley Philbin, who had the most shots of the team with three, one of which was a shot on goal. Philbin, who has played with Wisconsin since 2021, scored the only goal the Badgers had against Texas in the second round of the 2023 NCAA tournament.
The Badgers conference record falls to 0-1-0 after their loss alongside an overall record of 4-2-1. Following their win against Milwaukee, the Badgers were ranked 6th in the Big Ten conference,m but fell to 10th with this loss.
The Badgers will head to the West Coast on Thursday to face UCLA and then USC on Sunday.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
